Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leicester and Edinburgh

For one person, living is cheaper in Leicester: $2,266 a month against $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Leicester
Learn more

Leicester Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Edinburgh
Learn more

Edinburgh Living Index

Jump to prices

Leicester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,266

/mo nomad

Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,645

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Leicester and in Edinburgh

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Leicester and in Edinburgh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,266 per month in Leicester vs $2,645 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Leicester $2,266
Edinburgh $2,645

A couple spends around $3,200 per month in Leicester vs $4,021 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Leicester $3,200
Edinburgh $4,021

A family of three spends $4,133 per month in Leicester vs $5,397 in Edinburgh, rent included.

Leicester $4,133
Edinburgh $5,397

Leicester is about 14% cheaper than Edinburgh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Leicester and Edinburgh sit above the global median – Leicester by 66%, Edinburgh by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.76 £16.23

$24.35 £18.15

-10.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 £49.20

$105 £78.5

-37.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 £6.89

$10.47 £7.80

-11.75%

Cappuccino

$4.72 £3.52

$5.02 £3.74

-5.98%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 £1.80

$2.41 £1.80

0.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 £1.02

$2.19 £1.64

-37.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.74 £5.03

$8.04 £5.99

-16.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.20 £3.88

$7.91 £5.90

-34.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 £1.29

$1.75 £1.31

-1.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 £1.21

$2.33 £1.74

-30.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 £1.62

$2.35 £1.75

-7.23%

Eggs

$3.94 £2.94

$5.13 £3.82

-23.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 £7.61

$9.05 £6.75

12.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.99 £6.70

$9.26 £6.91

-2.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.85 £11.07

$16.17 £12.06

-8.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 £2.14

$3.05 £2.27

-5.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 £1.11

$1.87 £1.40

-20.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 £2.04

$3.35 £2.50

-18.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 £2.59

$3.75 £2.80

-7.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 £1.16

$2.05 £1.53

-24.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.53 £1.14

2.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 £0.88

$1.33 £0.99

-11.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 £1.09

$1.89 £1.41

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.03 £15.68

$23.87 £17.80

-11.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.26 £8.40

$10.96 £8.17

2.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 £1.85

$3.16 £2.35

-21.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 £2.37

$3.22 £2.40

-1.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.11 £3.06

$3.13 £2.34

31.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 £74.6

$99.8 £74.4

0.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 £3.62

$5.45 £4.07

-10.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.93 £2.93

$1.90 £1.42

106.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.50 £21.25

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 £1.51

$2.06 £1.54

-1.46%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$38.0K £28.3K

$38.2K £28.5K

-0.64%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$40.2K £30.0K

$39.7K £29.6K

1.34%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$312 £233

$329 £245

-5.21%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$16.36 £12.20

$16.81 £12.53

-2.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.04 £32.84

$43.13 £32.15

2.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.58 £25.78

$41.84 £31.19

-17.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.32 £19.62

$23.33 £17.39

12.82%

Cinema Ticket

$14.55 £10.85

$14.67 £10.93

-0.82%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,372 £1,023

$1,901 £1,417

-27.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.4K £19.7K

$25.8K £19.2K

2.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.0 £61.9

$82.2 £61.3

1.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.80 £31.16

$50.0 £37.28

-16.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 £79.9

$106 £78.8

1.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 £79.5

$115 £85.9

-7.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 £813

$1,691 £1,261

-35.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$918 £684

$1,205 £898

-23.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 £1,296

$2,959 £2,206

-41.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 £961

$2,184 £1,629

-40.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,857 £3,621

$6,388 £4,762

-23.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,333 £2,485

$4,514 £3,365

-26.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,936 £2,189

$3,632 £2,708

-19.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.77

11.74%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Leicester: October 25, 2026

Last update for Edinburgh: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Leicester

$918 40.5%

Edinburgh

$1.2K 45.6% 31.3% $287

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Leicester

$372 16.4%

Edinburgh

$389 14.7% 4.5% $17

Eating Out

Leicester

$318 14%

Edinburgh

$361 13.6% 13.6% $43

Groceries & Markets

Leicester

$301 13.3%

Edinburgh

$333 12.6% 10.5% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Leicester

$152 6.7%

Edinburgh

$159 6% 4.3% $6.5

Getting Around

Leicester

$141 6.2%

Edinburgh

$127 4.8% 9.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Leicester

$64 2.8%

Edinburgh

$71 2.7% 11.8% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,090 in Leicester versus $1,691 in Edinburgh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 24% higher in Edinburgh. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Leicester versus $105 in Edinburgh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $301 vs $333 – making Leicester the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Leicester

🇬🇧 Edinburgh

🕒 Local time

19:05 7:05 PM

Same time as Leicester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

305,700

488,050

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Leicester Edinburgh 390 km

From you

Leicester
Edinburgh

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Leicester vs Edinburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,399 per month in Leicester and $3,968 in Edinburgh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Leicester, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,090 there versus $1,691 in Edinburgh.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,266 in Leicester and $2,645 in Edinburgh. That makes Leicester about 14% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,372 per month in Leicester and $1,901 in Edinburgh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,266 in Leicester and $2,645 in Edinburgh. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Leicester – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Leicester. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Edinburgh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.